Chandigarh, August 10: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who leads the Bharatiya Janata Party campaign in Punjab ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, ruled out any electoral arrangement with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
Addressing journalists, Saini declared that the political partnership of the party exists directly with the state electorate, expressing complete confidence in securing a majority to form the next state government independently.
Clarifying the recent high-level interaction between SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saini stated, “Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country representing around 140 crore people, and he can meet anyone.”
The statement comes after a long-standing coalition between the two political entities—which previously governed Punjab across three terms from 1997 to 2002, 2007 to 2012, and 2012 to 2017—came to an end in September 2020 due to policy differences over central agricultural legislation. Following the political split, both parties contested the 2022 Assembly elections separately.
Expressing surprise over speculation stemming from the recent meeting, Saini asserted, “Some people have even started celebrating, suggesting that Badal had finally received an appointment.”
